There are boxes you have to check to make it through interviews. The person doing the interview likely wants you to check them all because speed is almost always a factor in filling a position, and no one wants to draw the process out. So you can do the hiring manager and yourself a big favor by keeping the following things in mind before you interview.

1. Can I Manage this Person.

It’s amazing how many interviewees lose sight of this. They portray themselves as rockstars and hard chargers but forget to demonstrate that they can take direction and can navigate projects through murky circumstances. Yes, you want to brag about how good you are, but try to make it more of a humble brag and just as important as your accomplishments, revealing an ability to learn and adapt are critical to most hiring managers.

2. Does This Person Understand the Role.

One of the top reasons people give for leaving companies is that they didn’t really understand the role they were hired for or that their responsibilities didn’t seem to make sense with the role they thought they were hired for. Hiring managers that look to hire long term (hopefully all of them) are going to be really tuned into whether or not you really understand the position you are looking to fill.

3. Is There Genuine Interest.

It’s all smiles and pressed clothes during an interview, but a hiring manager is going to try to gauge genuine enthusiasm for the company. If you’re at the interview just for the sake of interviewing experience, your hiring manager will likely sense this.

4. Will This Person Make Me Look Good.

We were tempted to make this the number one reason because it’s another aspect that gets overlooked. Ultimately getting hired means you are teaming up with a hiring manager to make the case for you. Therefore keep in mind that you want to make each other look good.

It’s always helpful at any negotiation (or poker game) to know what the other person is thinking. You want the hiring manager to walk away thinking all these boxes are checked. Unlocking opportunities for yourself when you prove you can give people what they really want.

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience and millions of dollars in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.